An analysis of practical approach of teaching geometry in public primary schools in Thogoto zone, Kiambu county, Kenya

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Abstract

Over the years poor performance by KCPE candidates has consistently been observed in
geometry items. Geometry has an important place in primary school mathematics curricula. This
study will aim at analyzing the effects of practical approach to teaching geometry in public
primary schools in Thogoto zone, Kiambu County. The main objectives of the study will be to
determine the extent to which primary mathematics teachers use the practical method in teaching
geometry, establish effects of practical teaching in performance in geometry questions in primary
schools and establish pupils' most common spatial reasoning errors made in primary schools in
Thogoto Zone. This study will be carried out in public primary schools in Thogoto educational
zone in Kiambu County. Target population will be 1035 standard seven pupils in 12 public
primary schools and 24 mathematics teachers. The categories of schools will be public day and
boarding. In standard seven 343 pupils will be randomly sampled representing 33.14 %. This
will be made of 180 boys and 163 girls. The sample will be from four purposively sampled
schools for the main research and one school for the pilot study. Eight mathematics teachers will
be randomly sampled from the four purposively sampled schools. Experimental survey design
and causal comparative design will be used. Questionnaire on geometry and geometry standard
tests will be used to obtain data. Geometry achievement test will be administered to all standard
seven pupils in two phases. Data on teaching /leaming materials used will be gathered using
classroom practices and teachers and pupils questionnaires. Quantitative data analysis will
consist of measuring numerical values from each description such as mean and standard
deviation. Frequency tables, graphs and pie charts will be used to represent data. Data will be
analyzed using statistical and descriptive survey method together with statistical package for
social sciences (SPSS